Clove

Zanzibar and Pemba are the “spice islands” – for two centuries clove plantations drove the archipelago’s economy.

The clove is an evergreen tree growing to 10–15 m, with a conical crown and glossy, aromatic leaves. The spice consists of hand-picked, unopened flower buds, which darken as they dry in the sun and take on the shape of small nails. They contain an oil rich in eugenol, used in cooking, medicine and perfumery. The tree comes from the Moluccas and needs a hot, humid climate and fertile soils. The harvest takes place twice a year and involves whole families.

Significance in the country

The clove tree was brought to Zanzibar in the early 19th century by Sultan Sayyid Said, and for a long time the archipelago was the world’s largest producer of cloves. Most of the harvest comes from Pemba, and cloves remain an important export and the draw of “spice tours”.

Where it grows

The Zanzibar archipelago: above all Pemba Island (the Pemba North and Pemba South regions), and to a lesser extent the north and west of Unguja.

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